Grain-drill.



LLL-824,763. PATLNTLD JULY 3, 1966.

J. H. ULLRICK.

GRAIN DRILL. APPLIGATION FILED SEPT. 14.. 1905.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

, wwe/who mlm. W l ,u M W j Eimii: W

PATENTED JULY 3,. 1906. J. H. ULLRICK. f GRAIN DRILL. APPLICATION FILEDsBPT.14,1905.

" s SHEETS-SHEET 2.

.L Jinw J...

.E .E .1.1 l@

rm: NoRRls PErLRs co., WASHINGTON, n. c.

No. 824,763. PATENTED JULY 3, 1906.

J. H. ULLRICK.

GRAIN DRILL.

APPLICATION PILED SEPT.14.1905.

a SHEETS-SHEET a.

JLU

NTEE STATES PATENT OFFCEI Specification of Letters Patent.

latenteol July 3, 1906.

Application filed September 14; 1905. Serial No. 272,441..

T0 a/ZZ whom, t may concern:

Beit known that l, J AOOB HENRY ULLRICK, a citizen of the United States,residing at Nashville, in the county of Davidson and State of Tennessee,have invented a new and useful Grain-Drill, of which the following is aspecification.

The invention relates to improvements in graindrills.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction ofgrain-drills and to provide a simple and comparatively inexensivemachine' adapted to sow various inds of grass-seed broadcast and variouskinds of grain in drills and to distribute fertilizer in the drillssimultaneously with the sowing of the grain.

A further object of the invention is to provide a machine of thischaracter adapted to operate effectively on both clean and trashy groundand capable of ready adjustment for arranging the hoes or other drillingdevices, such as disks, either in a perfectly straight line for cleanground or in substantially V form for throwing off the trash at thesides of the grain-drill.

Also the invention has for its obj ect to provide a grain-drill in whichthe hoes or other drilling device may be readily adjusted to throw theminto and out of operation and to arrange them at the desired depth andin which the machine will be ositively operated when turning in eitherirection.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in theconstruction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafterfully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointedout in the claims hereto appended, it being understood that variouschanges in the form, proportion, size, and minor details of constructionwithin the scope of the claims may be resorted to without departing fromthe spirit or sacrificing any ofthe advantages of the invention. I

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of a grain-drill constructed inaccordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the same.Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view taken substantially on the line3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a detail plan view illustrating the arrangementof the gearing for operating the feed-rolls. Fig. 5 is an enlargeddetail sectional view taken substantially on the line 5 5 of Fig. 2.Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially on the line 66 of 1. Figs. 7 and 8 are detail views illustrating the construction ofthe flexible seed spout or tube. Fig. 9 is a detail sectional viewillustrating the construction of the force-feed mechanism. Fig. 10 is ade= tail view illustrating the construction of the springs for holdingthe slidable clutch sec= tions or members in engagement with the clutchmembers or sections of the carryingwheels.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all thefigures of the drawa ings.

1 designates the main or supporting frame, which is of angular form,being substantially V form in plan view and provided at opposite sidesof the center with transverse bars 2 and 3, arranged at an angle anddiverging rearwardly and connected by outer and intermediatelongitudinal guide-bars 4 and 5, suitably secured to the transverse bars2 and 3. The outer bars 4 are extended in rear of the bars 3 and aresuitably secured to a transverse shaft or axle 6, which is provided atvits ends with carrying-wheels 7. The central portion of the main `orsupporting frame is provided with a rearward extension cornposed ofintermediate and side longitudinal bars 8 and 9, secured at their frontends to the transverse bars 3 and provided at their rear ends withsuitable bearings 10 for the reception of the shaft or axle 6.

The longitudinal guide-bars 4 and 5 are provided with top and bottomanges forming grooves or ways for the ends of slides 11, to which areconnected drag bars or beains 12. The guide-bars 5 are arranged in pairsand are fitted back to back, as clearly shovm in Fig. 6 of the drawings;but I bars er beamg. having opposite flanges may be employed instead ofseparate bars or beams, as will be readily apparent.

The slides, which move longitudinally of the machine to arrangedrill-holes 13 or other form of furrow-opener either in a straight lineor in V form, are provided at opposite sides with depending lugs or ears14, which are perforated for the reception of pivots or pintles 15 forconnecting the front ends of the drag bars or beams to the slides. Thedrag bars or beams are preferably composed of two sides or membersprovided with forwardly converging front portions having their terminals16 arranged at the outer faces of the lugs or ears 14 and pivoted to thesame by the said pivots or pintles 15, where- IOO IIO

by the drag bars or beams are adapted to swing upwardly and downwardlyfor throwing the drill-hoes into and out of operation and for arrangingthem at the desired depth.

The drill-hoes 13, which are provided with tubular shanks or stocks 17,are suitably secured to the rear ends of the drag bars or beams, andwhen the machine is operating on clean ground they may be arranged in astraight line; but when the grain-drill is used on trashy ground thehoes are arranged in V form, those at opposite sides of the centerforming two rows, which diverge rearwardly and which are adapted tolwork the trash laterally and discharge the same at the sides of themachine. This adjustment of the hoes is effected by means of a pair oflevers 18, disposed transversely of the grain-drill and located atopposite sides of the median line thereof and centrally pivoted, bymeans of bolts 19 or other suitable fastening devices, to the adjacentlongitudinal guide-bars 5.

The transversely-disposed levers, which are arranged substantially in ahorizontal posi- `gitudinally of the machine. projections extend fromthe upper faces of tion, are provided at intervals with longitudinalslots 2O for the reception of studs or projections 21. of the slides,which move lon- The studs or the slides, and when the transverse leversare oscillated the slides at one arm of each lever will be movedbackward and forward and those at the opposite arm will besimultaneously moved in the opposite direction. By swinging thelevers-in alinement transversely of the machine the drill-hoes or otherdevices carried by the rear ends of the drag bars or beams may beinstantly brought into a straight line, and by swinging the inner armsof the levers forwardly to the position illustrated in Fig.. 1 of thedrawings the drillhoes will be arranged in V form. Any trash collectedby the hoes`in the latter position will be Worked to the sides of thegrain-drill and discharged thereat. rlhe movement oftheyvcarrying-wheels assists in effecting this discharge, as the hoesare located between the same. j

The inner ends of the transverse levers are upturned to form ears 22,and they are connected by links 23 with the sides of a forked orbifurcated shifting lever 24. The front ends of the links or rods areangularly bent and have transverse portions arranged in the perforationsof the ears 22. The forked or bifurcated portion of the shifting lever24 straddles the rear end of a draft beam or tongue 25 and is pivoted bya transverse pin 26 to a bracket 27, which is secured to the bottoms ofthe central guide-bars 5 and which is provided with a depending portionhaving a perforation or opening for the reception of the pivot-pin 26.The rear ends of the links 23 are provided with eyes which are linkedinto perforations of the sides of the forked or bifurcated portion ofthe shifting lever. The shifting lever is adapted to beswung backwardand forward to oscillateA the transverse slide-actuating lever, and itis locked in the desired adjustment by means of a foot-lever 28,disposed longitudinally of the machine and fulerumed near its rear endon the shifting lever by means of a rivet 29 or other suitable fasteningdevice and having a substantially U-shaped front portion 30. The frontportion 30, which straddles a longitudinal ratchet-bar 31, is providedwith a transverse flange or engaging portion 32, adapted to drop intoany one of a series of notches or recesses 33 of the ratchet-bar 31. Thefront arm of the ratchet-engaging lever is heavier than the rear'arm, sothat the front end will be maintained in engagement withy the rack-barby gravity. The rear end of the lever 28 is provided with a foot-plate34, adapted to be readily depressed by the driver, a suitable seat beingin practice provided for his accommodation.

The drag bars or beams are swung upward and downward to throw the hoesinto and out of operation by means of a pair of oppositelydisposedrock-shafts 35, j ournaled in suitable bearings at the center and sidesof the supporting-frame. These rock-shafts are arranged at an angle anddiverge rearwardly and are provided at intervals with downwardly andforwardly projecting arms 36, which are connected with the drag bars orbeams. The drag bars or beams are preferably arranged. in loops orstirrups 37, which are suspended from the arms 36 by short chains 38 orother suitable flexible connections. The rockshafts are also provided attheir inner ends with short arms 39, which are connected by links 40with an operating-lever 41. The operating-lever 41 has a lower forked orbifurcated portion 42, the sides of which are offset from the plane ofthe upper or body portion of the lever and which are pivoted to the mainor supporting frame by a transverse pin 43. The pin 43 passes through aneye of a plate 44, which is secured to the main or supporting frame atthe adjacent ends of the transverse bars 3. The operating-lever isprovided at the sides of the lower forked or bifurcated portion 42 witha pair of oppositelydisposed upwardly-extending arms 45, which areconnected to the links 40. When the operating-lever 41 is swung downwardfrom the position illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawings, the rock-shaftswill be partially rotated, and the arms 36 will be swung upward forraising the drag bars or beams. The drag bars or beams are adapted toslide through the stirrups or loops, so that .the longitudinaladjustment of the former will not interfere with the operation of themechanism for raising and lowering the drag bars or beams. Theoperating-lever is locked at the end of its rearward movement by meansof a pivoted dog IIO say/ee 46, extending upwardly from the main or lsupporting frame at a point in rear of the draft bar or beam andprovided with a slot 47, through which the operating-lever 41 passes`The lower end ofthe pawl or dog 46 is forked or bifurcated to receive anupwardly-extending portion of a plate 48 and is secured to the same by apivot or pin 49. The plate 48 is secured to the central guidebars 5, itsfront end being extended over the rear end of the draft bar or beam andits rear end being bent upwardly to form a support for the pawl or dog.The operating-lever 41 is provided with a notch 50, forming a shoulderfor engaging the pawl or dog at the lower end of the slot 47, wherebythe lever 41 is locked against forward movement, The lev er may beprovided with other notches, or any other suitable means may be employedfor locking the drag bars or beams at an intermediate point forcontrolling the depth of the hoes.

The transverse rock-shaftsare provided adjacent to their outer ends withshort arms 5l, which are located beneath and arranged to engage frontarms 52 of longitudinal rockshafts 53, journaled in suitable bearings atopposite sides of the main or supporting frame and extending rearward topoints adjacent to the shaft or axle and provided thereat with dependinglaterally-movable arms 54, which are curved or hook-shaped for engagingthe grooves 55 of slidable clutch sections or members 56, which engageclutch-faces 57 of the carrying-wheels. The hubs of the carrying-wheelsare extended at their inner sides to form clutch sections or members forcooperating with the slidable clutch sections or members 56, and thelatter are provided with teeth forming clutch-faces for interlockingwith those of the carrying-wheels. The slidable clutch sections ormembers 56 are connected with the shaft or axle by a suitable key andkeyway or other suitable means for permitting the slidable clutchsections or members to move into and out of engagement with the clutchsections or members of the wheels. The slidable clutch sections ormembers are yieldably held in engagement with the clutch sections ormembers of the carrying-wheels by means of coiled springs 58, (see Fig.10,) connected with the front arms of the longitudinallydisposedrock-shafts. This construction will permit the carrying-wheels to movein either direction, and when turning the grain-drill thecarrying-wheels at the outer side of the machine, or the side describingthe greater circle, positively actuates the feed mechanism hereinafterdescribed. The machine is also adapted to be backed without operatingthe said feed mechanism, and when the operating-lever 41 is swungbackward to its rearmost position the front arms of the longitudinalrock-shafts will be swung upward and the slidable members or sections ofthe clutches will be carried out of engagement with the clutch sectionsor members of the wheels for throwing the machine out of operation. Thisis automatically effected when the hoes are swung upward out of theground.

The grain-drill is provided with three sets of seed-hoppers 59, 60, and61, having hinged tops and arranged at an angle to a central line. Themembers of each set of seed-hoppers diverge rearwardly and are arrangedin parallelism with the transverse bars 2 and 3 of the main orsupporting frame. The front hoppers are designed for containing any kind'of grass-seed-such as clover, timothy, and

the like-which are sown broadcast. The intermediate hoppers are designedfor containing any kindv of grain-such as wheat, barley, oats, and thelike-which are sown in drills, and the rear hoppers are provided forfertilizer, which is distributed in the drills simultaneously with thegrain. However, provision is made, as hereinafter explained, for sowingthe grain and distributing the fertilizer broadcast.

The hoppers are provided at intervals with depending seed cups orcasings 62, 63, and 64. The front seed cups or casings 62 are providedat the front with discharge-openings 65 for sowing the grass-seedbroadcast, and the intermediate and rear cups or casings 63 and 64 areprovided at the back with discharge-openings 66 and 67. Flexible spoutsor tubes 68 and 69 are detachably mounted adjacent to the opcnin s toreceive the grain and the fertilizer whic are simultaneously deliveredto the tubular shanks or stems 17 of the furrow-openers.

Each of the hoppers is provided with a force-feed cylinder constructedsubstantially vthe same as that shown and described in an applicationfor patent filed by me on or about July 26, 1905, Serial No. 271,341,and provided with a feed-roll 70, having spirally-arranged ribs or teethforming intervening spirally-arranged feed-grooves. pers are provided attheir bottoms with suitable discharge-openings communicating with thecups or casings, and the seed or fertilizer which drops from the hoppersupon the feedrolls is carried to the discharge-openings of the cups orcasings and is expelled or discharged therefrom in a continuous uniformuninterrupted stream. The discharge of the contents of the hopper iscontrolled by a slide 71, provided -with a depending portion or collaror rosette 72, having a circular opening to receive the feed-roll. Thedepending portion or collar is also provided at opposite sides of theopening with approximately L- shaped lugs 73, which loosely embrace adisk 74, having a central opening and provided thereat withinwardly-extending taperingv projections 7 8,`adapted to slide in thegrooves of the feed-roll for varying the length of the IOO The hop- Iza'effective portion of the same. The disk lwhich mesh with a spur-gear 99of the front which rotates with the feed-roll is carried by the slide,and as the slide moves inward to reduce the size of the stream the diskmoves inward and correspondingly reduces the length of the exposedportions of the grooves of the `feed-roll. The slides are connected withoperating-rods 79, piercing the cups or casings and provided at theirinner ends with arms 80, (see Fig. 2,) having threaded perforations andengaged by an adj Listing-screw 81. The adjusting-screw, which isprovided with right and left hand threaded portions for engaging theoperating-rods 79, has a central enlargement or head and is journaled insuitable bearings of a yoke 82. The central portion or head is providedwith sockets and is adapted to be engaged by a Spanner or other suitabletool for rotating the adjusting-screw, whereby the operating-rod and theslides are simultaneously moved inwardly or outwardly. When theoperating-rods are moved inwardly, the size of the stream is decreased,and an outward movement of the operatingrods increases the size of thestream. `One of the operating-rods is provided with a suitable indicator7 9, arranged to move over a scale for indicating the position of theslides.

The hoppers are provided with shafts S3, S4, and 85, arranged at anangle to correspond to the arrangement of the hoppers and extendingthrough the feed-rolls, which may be fixed to the shafts in any desiredmanner. The inner ends of each pair of feed-shafts are provided withbeveled vgears 86, which mesh with opposite beveled teeth 87 of acompound or double face gear that is also provided with intermediatesprocket-teeth SS. The sprocket-teeth 88 are connected by sprocketchains89 with sprocket-pinions 90 of the lower shafts 91, 92, and 93, disposedtransversely of the machine and connected by gearing with the shaft oraxle, as hereinafter explained. The transverse shafts 91, 92, and 93 arejournaled in suitable bearings of the central extension of the main orsupporting frame, and the lower pinions 90 are removable for enablinggears of different diameters to be employed for driving the force-feedmechanism at the desired speed.v The forcefeed mechanism of the severalhoppers may be driven at different speeds, and one or more may be thrownout of operation by removing the sprocket-chain 89.

The axle or shaft and the transverse shafts 92 and 93 are provided withsprocket-gears 94, 95, and 96, having sets of sprocket-teeth ofdifferent diameters and adapted to receive a connecting sprocket-chain97, which extends over the tops of the sprocket-wheels 94, 95, and 96and under the bottom of the same and which simultaneously communicatesmotion from the shaft or axle to the transverse shafts 92 and 93. Thesprocketwheel 94 is also provided with spur-teeth 98,

transverse shaft 91. The spur-gearing reverses the motion of the fronttransverse shaft 91 for discharging the seed through the front openingsof the seed cups or casings 65. The sprocket-chain 97 is adapted to bechanged from one set of sprocket-teeth to another for changing thespeed, so that the desired amount of seed and fertilizer will bedischarged.

Each of the spouts or tubes 68 and 69 is flexible and is provided with atapered up er section or head 100, forming an enlarged aring mouth toreceive the grain or fertilizer. The flexible spout or tube is composedof a plurality of tapering telescopic sections 101, provided at theirupper or enlarged ends with outwardly-extending annular flanges 102 andhaving substantially hook-shaped tongues 103 arranged at intervals andextending downwardly from the flanges. The tongues of one section ormember engage beneath the flange of the next lower section or member atpoints between the tongues thereof, the space between the tongues beinggreater than the width of the latter to permit the sections or membersto have a limited rotary movement on each other. The sections or memberstelescope or move longitudinally on each other and are capable of thesaid rotary movements and are also adapted to rock or tilt. By thisconstruction a flexible tube of great strength and durability isprovided, and the said tube is adapted to adjust itself automatically tothe movement of the drillhoes. The lower ends of the flexible tubes orspouts are fitted in the upper ends of the tubular shanks 17 of thedrill-hoes, and when it is desired to change the grain-drill into abroadcast seeder and fertilizer distributer the bolts or other fasteningdevices for securing the upper sections or heads 100 of the flexiblespouts or tubes are detached and the lower ends of the spouts or tubesare lifted out of the tubular shanks of the drill-hoes. The grain andthe fertilizer will then be distributed broadcast.

The machine will distribute fertilizer and sow grass-seed and grainsimultaneously, or one or more of the hoppers may be thrown out ofoperation, as before explained. By changing the gears of the lowertransverse shafts 91, 92, and 93 the machine may be arranged for sowingdifferent amounts of grain and fertilizer per acre.

The fertilizer-hoppers are preferably provided with agitators 103,consisting of shafts j ournaled in suitable bearings of the ends of IIOthe hoppers and provided with radially-artators with the feed-shafts, itwill be vapparent that any other form of gearing may be employed, ifdesired.

In practice the gearing will be vhoused within suitable casings of sheetmetal to protect them from dust and dirt; but these have been omitted inthe accompanying drawings for convenience of illustration.

The particular construction of drag-bars and the means for adjusting thesame to arrange the drag-bars either in a straight line or in anapproximately V form are not claimed in the present application, as thisstructure forms the subject-matter of a divisional application, filed onor about February 26, 1906, Serial No. 303,069.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is`

1. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a main frame,hoppers arranged at an angle, feed mechanism, fiexible spouts or tubes,drag bars or beams having drilling devices and connected with the spoutsor tubes, and means for moving the drag bars or beams backward andforward for arranging them either in a straight line or in angularrelation.

2. In a machine of the class described, the combination of oppositehoppers having feed mechanism provided with slides, operating-rodsconnected with the slides, and means for connecting the operating-rodsfor simultaneously actuating the same.

3. In a machine of the class described, the combination of oppositehoppers having feed mechanism provided with slides, operating-rodsconnected with the slides, and an adjusting-screw having right and lefthand threaded portions connected with the operating-rods forsimultaneously moving the same in opposite directions.

4. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a hopper,and a movable furrow-opener, of a fiexible spout or tube composed of aplurality of short telescopic sections having a limited longitudinalmovement, and means rigidwith the sections for limiting the longitudinalmovement to prevent the sections from becoming disconnected.

5. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a hopper,and a movable furrow-opener, of a fiexible spout or tube composed of aplurality of telescopic sections having a limited longitudinal movement,and rigid connecting means for the sections to prevent their separation,said connecting means being arranged in spaced relation to permit alimited rotary movement of the sections.

v6. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a hopper,and a movable furrow-opener, of a flexible 'spout or tube composed of aplurality of telescopic sections having an annular series of exteriorconnecting devices spaced apart to permit the sections to have a limitedrotary movement. j'

7. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a hopper, amovable furrowopener, a flexible spout or tube composed of a pluralityof sections capable of a limited rotary and longitudinal movement oneach other, and means for positively limiting the rotary and4longitudinal movements of the sections.

8. In a machine of the class described, vthe combination of a hopper, amovable furrow-opener, a flexible spout or tube composed of a pluralityof sections capable of a limited and longitudinal movement on eachother, said sections also having a rocking movement, and means rigidwith the sections for limiting the said movements.

9. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a hopper, amovable furrowopener, and a flexible spout or tube composed of aplurality of tapering telescopic sections circular in cross-section, andseparate means rigid with the upper ends of the sections and overlappingthe contiguous sections, and engaging the same, for positively limitingthe'movement of the sections on each other.

10. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a hopper, amovable furrowopener and a flexible spout or tube composed of aplurality of telescopic sections, each provided'with a projecting flangeand IOO having substantially hook-shaped tongues engaging the fiange ofthe adjacent section.

1 1. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a hopper, amovable furrowopener, and a flexible spout or tube composed of aplurality of telescopic sections, each provided with a projecting flangeand having substantially hook-shaped tongues engaging the flange of theadjacent section and having a limited lateral movement between thetongues thereof.

12. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a hopper,and a furrowopener, of a exible spout or tube composed of taperingtelescopic sections circular in cross-section, each section beingprovided at the top with an annular flange ,and having dependingsubstantially hook-shaped tongues arranged at intervals, the tongues ofone section receiving the flange of the adjacent section and having alimited rotary movement between the tongues thereof.

13. In a machine of the class described, the combination of oppositehoppers arranged at an angle, feed mechanism having shafts arranged atan angle and provided with spaced gears, an intermediate gear meshingwith the said gears, and gearing for communicating motion from theintermediate gear.

14. In a machine of the class described, the

IIO

combination of a wheeled frame having a rotary axle, a plurality ofhoppers arranged at an angle and provided with feed-shafts arranged atan angle, spaced gears mounted on the feed-shafts, intermediate gearsmeshing with the said gears, .lower transverse shafts, and gearing forconnecting the lower transverse shafts with the intermediate gears and"with the axle.

l5. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a wheeledframe having a rotary element, a plurality of hoppers, feed mechanismhaving feed-shafts, spaced gears mounted on the feed-shafts,intermediate ge ars meshing with the said gears, lower transverseshafts, separate gearing connecting the transverse shafts with theintermediate gears, and other gearing for connecting the transverseshafts with the axle.

16. In a machine of the class described, the

vcombination of front, rear and intermediate hoppers having cups, thecups of the front hoppers being provided at the front withdischarge-openings, and the cups of the other hoppers havingdischarge-openings at the back, feed mechanism provided with feedshafts,lower front, intermediate and rear transverse shafts, gearing connectingthe transverse shafts with the feed-shafts, sprocket-gears mounted onthe axle and on the intermediate and rear transverse shafts, a sprocketchain arranged on the said sprocket-gears, and spur-gearing connectingthe front and intermediate transverse shafts.

17 In a machine of the class described, the 3 5 combination of front,rear and intermediate hoppers having cups, the cups of the front hoppersbeing provided at the front with discharge-openings, and the cups of theother hoppers having discharge-openings at the 4o back, feed mechanismprovided with feedshafts, lower front, intermediate and rear transverseshafts, gearing connecting the transverse shafts with the feed-shafts,

sprocket-wheels having gears of different di- 45 ameters and arranged onthe axle and on the intermediate and rear transverse shafts, and asprocket-'chain arranged on the sprocketwheels and adapted to be changedfrom one set of gears to another, and spur-gearing con 5o JACOB HENRYULLRICK.

Witnesses: Tiros. E. HUGHES, ERNEST C. HARLAN.

